Untitled
by adurere
Summary: Kel thinks she will spend the summer months at the Palace but little does she know, there are those secretly working to bring about her ruin. KD or KN pairing.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Finally my computer is up and running! This will either be a KN or KD pairing, if Kel seems to mesh more with one as opposed to the other as the fic progresses please let me know, I want to make this as natural as possible. As of right now, Neal and Yuki are not together and were never interested in each other (to keep my options open for him and Kel wink wink) Heehee this is all a test story, I have no idea what to do with it (as usual) so let me know what you think! I'm trying to work on my other story as well so hopefully the updates for both will be pretty regular….. sigh one can only hope. Onto the fanfic!

Disclaimer: It all belongs to the brilliant Tamora Pierce except for anything I made up (the plot and such). Enjoy!

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Kel sighed as she surveyed the large desk, laden with papers. The entire Kings Own, currently stationed at New Hope, was leaving and traveling back to the capital for the arrival of nobles from the Copper Isles, and Lord Raoul had given her the task of outfitting the excursion. "I don't see why the King needs everyone there," Kel mumbled to herself as she performed calculations in her head. Someone behind her cleared their throat, startling her. She stifled a yelp and turned, "Dom!" Kel could feel her face heat up, "Don't scare me like that." New Hope had just come off a dangerous spidren alert and Kel was still edgy.

Dom blushed, "Sorry Kel, I just came to ask if you need a break from your work." He shuffled his feet and refused to look her in the face.

His question startled her and she squinted at him, he did look particularly good today. She shook her head at her silly thoughts, "I could use the fresh air."

Dom looked up, obviously relieved. "I will meet you in the stables at the noon bell then."

She smiled at the blue-eyed sergeant, "Sure."

"Until then, Protector of the Small." With that, Dom grinned and bowed, ducking out of the door as she threw her coin purse at him. Still smiling she turned back to her desk, ignoring her duties and immediately slipping into a daydream. She quickly realized what she was doing and shook her head. "That's the last thing you need, a man before your first assignment alone." Kel grimaced with distaste as she thought about the plans the King had for her. The Copper Isles looked even less appealing if she was to be on one of them. With the details of the mission still unclear, Kel had to hope she wouldn't be there too long. Fingering the dagger hilt in her belt, she wondered what life on the Isles would be like. Letting her thoughts drift once again, Dom popped into her head. She immediately sat up, "Oh Goddess, I can't even keep my mind off him for a second."

Kel stood and stretched her aching body, still sore from Raoul's most recent torture: sparring with two swords. "You can pay attention to one but it will mean death to face an opponent who can maneuver both arms at once," Lord Raoul had told a very grumpy Kel an hour before dawn that morning. Not only did the practice require strength of body, but of mind as well and Kel found that the task of keeping her mind focused with two silver blurs dancing around instead of only one tired her out more than she expected. Exiting her room, she nearly tripped over her coin purse. Picking it up, she turned out into the hallway, a large grin spread across her face. Trotting out to the stables, she paid Peachblossom and Hoshi a visit, talking to them and giving them treats before Dom arrived. Peachblossom fussed as usual and Kel was searching for a brush to comb him with when she heard a familiar voice.

"Looking for this?"

She turned and smiled happily as she saw Dom holding a brush. "Why yes, thank you," she said accepting it. As her hand touched his, her heart thumped in her chest. Quickly snatching her hand away she began to brush Peachblossom. "Now that the spidren nest is gone we can take that small path through the woods and end up overlooking the valley. I need to survey the land for a new map anyway," Kel said, speaking more to her horse's hide than anything.

Dom leaned up against the stall, eyeing Peachblossom and crossing his arms over his chest replied, "My Lord must be an unhappy man, to be returning to Court. I figure the more time spent away from him the better. Gods know what getting back to Corus will be like."

Kel giggled as she thought of Raoul at past Midwinter parties, "I agree." She sighed, "It will be nice to go back to the palace though." She glanced sideways at Dom who was watching her through his lashes. _He looks so handsome! _Kel thought. Exasperated with herself she focused on saddling Peachblossom as she and Dom small-talked for a few minutes. They continued their chat as they walked outside, gelding in tow, and went to Dom's horse, tethered to the fence by the stable door.

Kel and Dom picked their way through the trail in the woods, laughing and talking as two old friends should. Kel was thoroughly enjoying herself when she heard strangled peeps coming from her left. Peachblossom heard too and snorted, pawing the ground. Her sparrows shot out of the trees, peeping an alarm. The horses began to fuss, trying to move away from the direction the sparrows came.

"That means trouble doesn't it," Dom stated glumly.

Kel squinted into the trees, loosening her sword in her sheath, "Please Goddess, no more spidrens," she mumbled. She looked over her shoulder and grinned, "Time to go hunting!" Dom laughed. Suddenly his face fell and became ashen. "Kel," he whispered.

A feeling of dread loomed over her. She really didn't want to turn around. Peachblossom was oddly quiet and the sparrows too had calmed. Slowly her head swiveled to face forward. She was looking into the jaws of an angry spidren.

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A/N: I know, I know cliffy and it's a tad confusing. All will be cleared up in the next chapter, I promise! And that will hopefully be coming soon……….. ;.p

Okay so, on the advice of the bestest person ever, westernrider1098, I have made a few small changes…. Nothing major…. Yay!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful reviewers!

**Westernrider1098**: Thank you so much for your help. And I looked it up and spidrens don't really have the means in which to hold swords. I was soo sad because I thought that was a cool idea! I will save it for later….unless I'm just being dumb and they really can hold swords…..

**Imakeladrygirl**: snickers I like Kel and Dom too! Keep reading to find out what happens…… muahahahhahaha

**Anonymous reviewer**: hahaha thank you for the review and like I said before, I like KD but who really knows what may happen in later chapters…… 3

**Princess-Of-Everything**: Thanks so much for your support! Sorry this chapter is a little late!

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The spidren gnashed its teeth, grinning at Kel and rearing. She felt Peachblossom shivering and mentally apologized to her horse before kicking him into movement. Peachblossom jumped to the side just as the Spidren unleashed its sticky web. Sparrows flew around the spidren's head, pecking at its eyes and temporarily blinding it. "Stop!" Kel yelled, calling the sparrows back. The last thing she needed was her friends to die, she could handle this. The sparrows relented, retreating to the treetops to watch out for more dangers.

Cursing herself for not bringing her glaive, Kel swung her horse around as she drew her sword and sliced at the spidren's foreleg. Screaming in fury, the spidren lashed out with some of its sticky web, narrowly missing Kel's head. She faltered, unsure where Dom had gone to and whether he was safe. But before she had time to think much on it, the spidren lurched forward. As she turned her full attention back to the monster, she faintly heard horn calls. Parrying blow after blow Kel neglected to realize another spidren had crept out of the woods and was now battling with Dom.

"Kel!" Dom yelled in a strangled voice. She allowed herself a quick glance and a look of horror quickly came over her face. Dom was bleeding sluggishly from one arm as he fought to fend of the spidren with the other. Peachblossom reared, forcing her spidren back before Kel got decapitated. Snorting in anger, Peachblossom stomped, daring the monster to come closer.

_Dom couldn't be hurt!_ Kel thought, afraid for her friend's life. Dom's injury gave her new purpose, however, and she yelled as she jumped off of Peachblossom. Ducking under a swipe from the spidren, she rammed her sword into its belly and was knocked to the ground. Sword now firmly implanted within the spidren, Kel hurried to stand. The spidren screamed in pain and advanced towards Kel, the rage in its eyes deepening. Frantically glancing around, she noticed a stick on the ground. Reacting quickly, she grabbed the fallen tree branch and swung it blindly in front of her to keep the spidren at bay. Snatching another glance at Dom, she was relieved to see he hadn't been so stupid as to lose his sword to the creature's belly. He seemed to be doing okay for the moment.

Kel shoved the stick at the spidren, as near to its belly wound as she could, further angering it, and quickly brought her stick back up to rap it on the head. All of a sudden, a squad of men from New Hope swarmed through the trees with roped, ensnaring both spidrens and cleanly beheading them.

Kel swayed and searched for Dom. Breathing a sigh of relief to see him leaning against a tree, she made her way over to him.

"Kel," he gasped and fainted.

"I need a healer!" Kel screamed and bent down to examine Dom's wound. A gash ran from his shoulder down to his wrist and, from the looks of it, he had been bleeding for some time before she first noticed it during the spidren attack.

"I am a healer, Lady Kel," said a young woman who had came up silently behind her.

Jumping Kel nodded, "Please hurry."

Kneeling next to Dom, the woman closed her eyes and placed her hands over Dom's wound. "I need to get him back to New Hope, milady. We need to clean and dress this before it gets infected.

Again Kel nodded, feeling faint herself. Shaking her head to clear it she surveyed the scene before her. The spidren's bodies where being roped up and dragged to a clearing to be burned. Her eyes landed on Peachblossom and she whistled. "Help me get him up on the horse," she told the healer. Together, the two women slid Dom onto Peachblossom and loosely tied him to the saddle. Kel grabbed the reins herself as Merric wheeled up to her on his own horse. 

"Milady," he nodded in the saddle.

Kel rubbed her forehead, "Send out trackers. I need to know where those spidrens came from. I'm taking Dom back to New Hope. No one goes off alone and make sure anyone out here carries a pole arm."

"Yes milady." Merric looked at her oddly, "Kel," he hesitated but continued when he saw her expression, "Dom will be fine."

She smiled weakly, "Thanks. Warn the men, they need to be careful." And with that she led Peachblossom away as fast as she thought she could, the young healer in tow.

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A/N Take Two: What do you think? Sorry it has taken so long to update, and I know this isn't very long but I need to figure out how to develop their relationship. I am greatly considering making it a Kel/Dom pairing, I probably will do that once I figure out how to continue. Be honest, let me know how the writing is and if I stayed true to the characters and just how you liked it in general. Thankssssss!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Another chappie uppp. I was re-reading this story and realized my disclaimer only extends to the first chapter. So I have decided to just make that the disclaimer for the whole thing. My power is out right now which made me think about lighting in this thing and I realized (kind of stupidly) they had magic, candles and fire. Nothing like realizing how stupid you sound in your own head….Enjoy!

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Kel slept lightly in a chair next to Dom's bed, waiting for him to wake. Her dreams were unsettling; depicting images of bloody battlefields and throngs of immortal and human corpses littering the countryside. A hand on her shoulder made her start, and she opened her eyes to glance up into the very green eyes of her best friend, Nealan of Queenscove.

His smile was strained but there nevertheless. "I thought you might need this back," he handed her a polished Griffin.

Startled, she accepted it, "I didn't realize it was missing." She grimaced as she remembered sticking it into the spidren's belly. "That was stupid," she muttered and mulled over the days events.

"What ever would you do without me here to look after you," came Neal's drawl, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at him in alarm because although he had tainted his voice with sarcasm, it quavered with worry for his cousin.

Kel stood and sheathed her sword, turning to face Neal, "The healers did all they could, now it is his turn to rest and heal."

Neal didn't look convinced. "If only I had been here!" he said furiously, striding across the room to stare broodingly out the window.

"And what would you have done that the other healers couldn't," Kel replied, trying to stay quiet. Neal didn't answer, staring out across the countryside.

"As soon as he is well enough, we ride for Corus. Your father will attend to him and he will recover." Kel walked over to Neal and made him face her, "He will get well." Kel said this to convince herself as much as Neal.

Neal was sick with worry. "Kel…" he stuttered, lowering his face into his hands. He took a deep breath and tried again, "Kel I'm worried," he waved his hand about the room and at Dom, "this, this all….I am…I…I don't want him to die."

Kel carefully breathed in and out, imagining herself a serene lake; it took a great deal of effort to keep her face Yamani blank. Neal hadn't yet looked at her, thank the Goddess, or else she would have lost it. She could think of nothing to say to comfort her friend so she drew him into her arms and hugged him. He hugged back tightly, with only the shaking of his body to give away his sobbing. She had never imagined how much Dom meant to him, they were as brothers she supposed.

A slight rustling from behind them made them both turn. Dom groaned and tossed lightly. Neal hurried over to him and placed a cool hand on his cousin's feverish brow. A soft green light grew around Dom's forehead, glowing bright, then subsiding into a dim shimmer, until it was nothing. Tight-lipped, Neal stood, "I can ease the fever a bit but it will be back soon." He ran his fingers through his hair, but looked more composed. Kel smiled despite herself.

"You need food and rest," Kel gave him a light shove toward the door. "I will watch Dom, it was a clean heal. I know it was a scare but think how annoying he will be when he wakes up and all he wants to do is eat." She ushered him out of the room.

He allowed her to direct him to the door. He stepped out and turned around, "Kel I…thanks." Cheeks flushing, Neal spun around and strode down the hall. Kel sighed and shook her head, _men_, she thought. Musing over Neal's reaction she sat back down next to Dom's bed, feeling the hilt of her sword, letting her thoughts drift once more.

She wasn't able to daydream for long, however, because her former knight-master stepped in the room with all the silence of a cat, leaning his bulk against the door frame. It took her some moments to notice his presence. Startled, she tried to stand and bow in one movement, and nearly tripped over her chair.

Raoul's eyes lit up with amusement, "You know that isn't necessary with me, youngster."

Kel smiled, "What do you make of the spidrens popping up out of no where?"

Raoul sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Who knows what they are up to this time. I think its best if we leave a few squads here to guard the town." He looked at Dom, "I will not appreciate it very much if he dies on me, hard to find good sergeant these days."

Kel shook her head, "He will pull through." _He has to_, she added silently. "We leave when he is able."

Raoul stood to attention and saluted her, "Yes Sir, Lady Knight Sir," and spun around leaving Kel once more alone with the sleeping Dom. Now it was her turn to sigh and return to her post, yet again, not to be disturbed for the rest of the day.

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A few days later, Dom recovered enough to travel with the rest of the King's Own and early midmorning the fourth day after the spidren attack, Kel and the band of warriors set off for Corus. As they rode through the gates, Kel gave one last worried glance at her fort. Neal rode up beside her, "Your little ducklings will be fine. You left them in capable hands." Kel snorted. She had to agree with him. What amazed her most was she had successfully persuaded Tobe to stay behind.

Kel grinned up at him, "Race you to the river." And with that, she spurred Hoshi into action, laughing as Neal tried to keep up. Reaching the water, she reined Hoshi in, breathless from the crisp morning air. Neal slowed to a halt beside her. He glanced at her face and saw it glued on the town of New Hope.

"How will you spend your days now, with no one to fuss over?" Neal teased.

She glared at him. "There's always you," she said simply, riding back to the head of the company. Neal followed not an arms length behind and began to bother her more about her plans for the coming months at the palace.

An hour of riding later and he was still blabbering. Kel mostly ignored him, keeping her eyes out for possible dangers, and trying to remember why she allowed him to come with her in the first place. Surveying her surroundings, she noticed Raoul deep in conversation with some of his sergeants. She smiled, he never stopped working. Abruptly, she turned Hoshi and went to check on Dom.

Before they set out, she made sure Dom was settled comfortably in his own wagon. Peachblossom, after getting particularly snappy at some of the other horses, was banished to the back of Dom's wagon, still baring his teeth at anyone who dared come near him. He quieted when he saw Kel. She looked lovingly at the irritable animal and produced an apple from her pocket. Peering inside the wagon, she looked to see how Dom was doing.

He opened one eye and looked at her smiling, "Ah fair lady, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Kel grinned happily, "Meathead won't stop talking. You are merely an excuse for me to avoid his incessant rantings."

Dom chuckled and propped himself up on an elbow, fully looking her in the eyes now. Those eyes of his, Kel sat there dreamily for a moment, realizing a little too late Dom said something.

"Hmm?"

"I said, maybe when we get back to the Palace you can teach me to use your pigsticker."

This startled Kel and she looked quizzically at him.

"If another spidren decides to lunge at me I'd like to be able to use something a bit more deadly than a staff."

The argument made sense, and at the same time, thrilled Kel. She could spend loads of time with Dom this way! Noticing she hadn't yet responded she said stupidly, "Of course." Cursing herself for not being wittier, she blushed. "I should probably get back up there."

"It was nice of you to visit," came the calm voice that made Kel's heart thud in her chest, "don't stay away too long." Kel nodded a reply, not trusting herself with words. As she rode forward, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him….

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They rode without any disturbances and not too long after they set out, Dom began to ride, teetering on his horse, refusing to sit a day more in the wagon. Kel sighed, Raoul laughed and Neal looked like he was about to skin Dom alive when he came up to ride with them. Kel studied him from under her eyelashes, glad to just be near him again. As he laughed and joked with the men, Kel realized how deep her affections ran.

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That night, as Kel sat on a rock, peering out over the landscape deep in thought, she received the surprise of her life.

"It's chilly out here," Dom remarked, and came to sit down beside her.

She nearly jumped but quickly regained her composure. Turning to face him, she realized they were very close to one another, "Yes," she whispered.

Dom suddenly leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure it would wake the whole camp. When they parted, Dom spoke, his voice raspy, "I…I'm sorry Kel. I just…I should go." He got up and walked as quickly as his arm allowed, across camp, back to his bedroll.

Sleep for Kel didn't come until much later, into the early hours of the morning. Her mind spun with that kiss, her lips throbbed, and for the first time since they had left New Hope, she allowed herself to relax.

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A/N: YAY! This took FOREVER to write. Hope you enjoy! It feels a little off so if anyone has suggestions to make it flow a bit better I would appreciate it! Thank you, you all are wonderful!. Muah kisses nightnight.


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